For the second consecutive time in two weeks, there’s been a major altercation between traveling German football fans traveling to and from separate away matches. Last Saturday, FC St. Pauli fans (on their way to Frankfurt) and Wolfsburg supporters (en route to Hamburg) clashed in the Hannover train station. This weekend, Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 fans got into it on a train platform in Köln.

Schalke and Dortmund – historically the most raucous derby in all of German football – aren’t even playing in the same league anymore. Two Schalke relegations (2020/21 and 2022/23) means that the two clubs have only been able to contest the famous “Revierderby” twice in the last three seasons. The passion of supporters of the respective clubs can nevertheless not be stifled. 

On early Saturday morning in Köln, S04 fans were heading to a 2. Bundesliga away fixture at Karlsruhe whilst Dortmund supporters were traveling back from a Friday Bundesliga away match at Augsburg. In response to an enquiry from Kicker, German federal police have confirmed that around 340 fans from both clubs were involved in the incident. 

Dortmund supporters awaited a connecting train on the Kölner platform crossed paths with Schalke fans arriving on the opposite side. Police had to separate the two sets of fans via the use of pepper spray and batons. Ultimately, the two camps were forced back into separate train carriages. One police officer was injured. No arrests were made. 

Heading into the weekend, the biggest football-related security concern in the Bundesrepublik was the fact that Berlin clubs Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin were both hosting home fixtures on Saturday. Police in the German capital remained on high alert as an estimated 30,000 Dynamo Dresden traveling supporters entered a city home to two clubs with which they have inimical relations. 

Thus far, there have been no reports of major clashes in Berlin.